The Columbia University Distinguished Fellows program seeks accomplished candidates at a life inflection point, who want to think afresh about life trajectory, meaning, and purpose, and who want to undertake such study in a powerful intellectual setting with peers seeking the same.
Ideal candidates will deeply engage specific interest areas while also expanding their sense of possibility by encountering cutting edge discovery and reflecting on foundational human achievements, including art, literature, music, history, philosophy, and politics.
In 200-300 words, please elaborate on the questions, passions, or areas of inquiry you are eager to explore at Columbia and in New York City, and how you imagine carrying the year of intellectual engagement and peer exchange into your next chapter of life.
An individual’s voice is highly prized at Columbia. These essays are a place for your own voice, perspective, and identity to come through. We want to hear how you think, what matters to you, and how you make sense of your own experiences. We are less interested in a perfectly polished essay than in an authentic account of your thinking, experiences, values, and aspirations.